Associate Engineer - Firmware
Vector Atomic•Pleasanton, CA
•$107,458 - $140,690•Onsite
About The Position
We're looking for exceptional early-career engineers to grow with us. As an Associate Firmware Engineer, you'll work alongside world-class physicists and hardware engineers to build embedded software for next-generation quantum sensing instruments. This is a hands-on, high-impact role where your code directly enables precision measurement at the frontier of quantum technology. If you've just completed a degree from a top engineering program and want to do work that matters, not CRUD apps, but real-time control systems running inside instruments that measure the universe, this is your role.
Requirements
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science from an accredited program, we're targeting graduates from highly rated programs with strong fundamentals
- Demonstrated ability to write production-quality C/C++ for small embedded processors
- Experience writing interrupt service routines, peripheral drivers, and multi-threaded firmware using RTOSs and/or bare-metal environments
- Scripting experience in Python, Perl, or similar languages
- Hands-on experience with lab test equipment (oscilloscopes, function generators, voltmeters)
- Strong debugging instincts, able to isolate and resolve bugs using debuggers and simulation tools
- Comfort working in a laboratory setting
- Must be a U.S. citizen (born or naturalized), lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e. green card holder), and certain categories of refugees, and asylees to comply with US export control laws.
Nice To Haves
- Experience designing PID or other control algorithms
- Familiarity with fixed-point arithmetic and digital filter design
- Experience with communication protocols: TCP, UDP, UART, SPI, I2C, or similar
- Assembly language programming for embedded targets
- Experience with lightweight Ethernet stacks (e.g., lwIP)
- Background with SoC or FPGA devices
Responsibilities
- Write and verify embedded firmware for ST microcontrollers, including COTS devices and MCUs integrated into custom ASICs
- Implement control algorithms critical to the operation of high-precision quantum sensing instruments
- Develop peripheral drivers for mixed-signal devices, working directly from electronic schematics
- Partner with hardware engineers on board testing and bring-up activities
- Contribute to a rigorous engineering culture through code reviews, GitHub task tickets, and retrospectives
- Clearly document and communicate your work in a highly collaborative, cross-disciplinary environment
Benefits
- Platinum-level family health coverage (medical, dental, vision)
- Health and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- Employer 401(k) contributions
- 20 days of paid time off
- 11 paid holidays
- Paid parental leave
- Fully stocked kitchen
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
